Stagecoast invest £1.5 million on new buses for north line
Bus passengers on the Far North line can no longer complain about the lack of toilets on the buses.
Stagecoach has just invested £1.5 million on six new coaches for its Far North route.
And the good news is that each vehicle is fitted with a toilet.
The row over the lack of facilities in north buses erupted early in 2008 when Stagecoach took over the far north route from Rapsons.
At the time, a campaign group for the elderly, the Highland Senior Citizens Network, criticised Stagecoach for removing buses with on-board toilets from the Inverness to Thurso route.
Regular bus passengers pointed out the journey took three and a half hours. They claimed they were getting a second class service.
Stagecoach’s response at the time was that a comfort stop had been scheduled into the bus timetable at Dornoch for the convenience of passengers.
But now the bus company has splashed out on the fleet of six new buses, which began rolling on the X99 service last Tuesday, 19th July.
As well as a toilet, each vehicle is fitted with a special wheelchair lift for easy boarding and CCTV for passenger security.
Steve Walker, managing director of Stagecoach in the Highlands said: "We are delighted to be making what is one of the biggest investments in public transport in the Highlands for many years.
"The latest investment in these state-of-the-art coaches is a real sign of confidence in the future of public transport in the region and we are committed to delivering high-quality bus services."
The X99 service from Inverness to Thurso includes stops through Sutherland.